The ADHS Arizona Cancer Registry is a population-based surveillance system that collects, manages and analyzes information on the incidence, survival and mortality of persons having been diagnosed with cancer. We began collecting cancer case information in 1981. The Registry has data available describing cancer in Arizona using a variety of descriptors, including site of origin, age, [...]
This week the Archives of Internal Medicine published the results of a 20-year lifestyle study on 4886 people in the UK between 1985 and 2005. The study compared mortality rates among the group and analyzed longevity’s relationship to behavior. The study compared people that had various bad behaviors- allocating 1 point for: 1) smoking; 2) [...]
The Maricopa County Department of Public Health has discovered a pretty significant outbreak of a bacteria called Clostridium difficile this week. This organism can cause severe diarrheal illness, and is commonly associated with antibiotic use and healthcare facilities. Most people who come into contact with Clostridium difficile do not develop disease. Being on long-term antibiotics [...]
We rolled out our new public health information system … called Arizona Health Matters http://www.arizonahealthmatters.org/. It’s an electronic one stop source of unbiased data and information about community health and healthy communities in general. It’s intended to help planners, policy makers, and community members learn about issues and identify improvements. On the site, you can [...]
The latest CDC Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report has the latest on the state-by-state H1N1 vaccination rates for kids as well as national percentages for healthcare workers. Arizona had the highest vaccination rates for kids in the western U.S. The national vaccination rates for healthcare workers were a little disappointing (about 40%)- but keep in [...]
Our Behavioral Health Office of Prevention http://www.azdhs.gov/bhs/ops.htm provides tools, resources and technical support to promote the resiliency and prevention of behavioral health/substance abuse disorders in our communities. Our goal is to empower communities and kids to make healthier choices by collaborating with Arizona’s prevention workforce, including our Tribal/Regional Behavioral Health Authorities and local communities; strategically [...]
The US Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, passed legislation out of their Committee to reauthorize WIC and the other Child Nutrition Programs last week. It’s called the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. The bill http://ag.senate.gov/site/legislation.html includes the reauthorization of the free and reduced lunch and breakfast programs. I was in DC a couple [...]
The US Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, passed legislation out of their Committee to reauthorize WIC and the other Child Nutrition Programs last week. It’s called the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. The bill http://ag.senate.gov/site/legislation.html includes the reauthorization of the free and reduced lunch and breakfast programs. I was in DC a couple [...]
Some of the best infection control experts are laying out the plan on how to fight Healthcare-Associated Infections in the next decade. The International Conference on HAIs just wrapped up in Atlanta – it marked the first time that four leading scientific organizations committed to infection prevention are working together to further a scientific and [...]
I don’t have to tell you that we’ve faced unprecedented challenges over the last couple of years. State revenues have declined for nearly 3 years now, and we’ve dramatically reduced our spending and staffing levels in an effort to bring spending in line with state revenues. Excluding the money that goes toward the matching funds [...]
